Girl Gang East Sixth Takeover

Local dyke riders say, "Lez Ride!"

Strap on your brain buckets, bandanas, and brass knuckles, and leave the labels at home. Austin's Lez Ride! is about solidarity.

“We’re gonna go down Sixth as a huge gang of girls, a pack for visibility,” says Mugzy Undemir, founder of Lez Ride! Bicycles, motorcycles, and scooters are taking over downtown this Saturday in a collaborative launch between two organizations: Ezra Edward’s GirlFriend and Mugzy Undemir's Lez Ride!. The pack plans a short trek across downtown Austin, followed by an after party at Cheer Up Charlie’s.

It doesn’t matter how you identify, just show up. “Anyone who identifies as a woman who loves women – that’s what my thing is,” says Mugzy. “I just like girl power.”

“Girls need more solidarity," says Ezra. “Women tend to make enemies or ‘frenemies’ of each other, and I don’t think that’s the way we need to be going, I think we need to look out for our fellow homegirls. Otherwise it tears the community apart.”

“That’s one of the things I love about this idea, is that girls need to be taking care of each other and watching each others' backs,” says Mugzy. “The girls of Lez Ride! are now my family. We take care of each other and watch each others' backs; that’s why I thought ‘we should start a gang.’ We’re going to show our power in numbers.”

And what’s a gang without a fight? The ride ends at Cheer Up Charlie’s with DJs S.I.R. and Cap’N Tits spinning hip-hop for Dance Wars, “where your only weapon is dancing.” Visions of competitive grinding are already dancing in my head.

“Think Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It,’ but with no knives,” says Ezra.

You want in? Rendezvous at Cheer Up Charlie’s this Saturday, July 21, 8pm. Ride starts at 8:30pm.